As society continues to tempt us with Netflix, YouTube, and all things Social Media just finding time to sit and read an entire book is a challenge. Perhaps we need to change our habits and reach for a book when we want to escape and not our cell phones.
A few nights ago, I was reading to my daughter and I looked over and noticed she was crying. There was a scene where the "evil" character had empathy for a small insignificant plant (believe it or not) - it was so beautifully written (Chris Colfer) that we both had a reaction. I started to think about the last time I shed a tear while reading a book - it's been a while.
Is it my book choice or am I becoming de-sensitized to others pain?
Children can focus so well when being read to, and in my daughter's case, she is living and breathing with each and every character. I am jealous of her ability to dive deeply into a text. Perhaps it's because she is free of distractions and can fully concentrate on one thing at a time. She is only 10, how many more years do I have left before a cell phone become her escapism?
I will cherish these story-times while I can, it's a great chance to freeze time for a moment and escape into Fairytale Land, and perhaps if we are lucky, to have a little cry together.